• When she was in the first grade, children’s book author Lois Lowry found what she thought was a very cold mouse. (Actually, it was a dead rat, but she didn’t understand such things yet.) Hoping to warm up the “mouse” and keep it as a pet, she took it home, put it in the oven, and turned the oven on to a low temperature. Then she started playing and forgot about her new pet. Her mother noticed that something was being baked in the oven, and she checked it out — then, Lois says, her mother started screaming at her for no reason.
• Even a dog can be a critic. Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed a number of mansions, but he also designed a number of modest houses. After schoolteacher Robert Berger built his own house using Mr. Wright’s design, his 12-year-old son wrote Mr. Wright asking him to design a matching doghouse. Mr. Wright did exactly that, and Mr. Berger and his son built the doghouse. However, Eddie, their Labrador retriever, apparently did not like the doghouse and so never went into it.
• In 1924, Pep, a black Labrador retriever, killed a cat that belonged to the governor of Pennsylvania. The governor was not pleased. Because he was a judge, he decided to hold a trial for Pep. He found Pep guilty, and Pep was sent to prison for life. However, Pep was happy in prison. He was allowed to run free as he pleased, and he accompanied the prisoners on their work details. Pep liked the prisoners, and the prisoners liked Pep. When Pep finally died, prisoners wept.
• In his book Faith, Hope, and Hilarity, Dick Van Dyke tells a story about a boy who prayed to God to bring him a puppy. Unfortunately, his mother was allergic to dogs and so she got him a kitten instead. The boy told his mother, “I thought you said that God is perfect and never makes mistakes.” “That’s true,” his mother said. “Well, you’re wrong,” her son said. “I prayed real hard for a puppy and anyone can see that this is a kitten.”
• At a Westminster Dog Show in Madison Square Garden, a woman was selling an expensive coat made for dogs. Saying “We want her dog to look as smart as madame,” the saleslady held up a pink cocktail coat made out of embroidered silk with a lining of mohair. Sportswriter Robert Lipsyte asked her, “When would a dog wear that?” The saleslady replied, “After five o’clock.”
• When opera singer Joan Hammond returned to Australia for a visit, two of her nieces asked for her autograph — in fact, they each gave her a piece of paper and asked that she sign each piece of paper ten times. When she had finished, they said, “Goody! Now we can swap these for twenty tadpoles!”
Art
• Shortly after Vincent van Gogh died, Theo, his brother, followed him in death. Nearly everyone thought that Vincent had been a failure as an artist, and Theo’s widow, Jo, was urged by her brother to throw away Vincent’s paintings and other works of art. She declined to do that. Instead, she preserved Vincent’s works of art and the letters that he and Theo had written to each other over the years. She organized exhibitions, wrote a biography of Vincent, and arranged for the publication of the letters. Without her efforts, many soon-to-be-recognized-as-masterpieces works of art would have perished.
• In 1962, sculptor Louise Nevelson traveled to Italy to represent the United States in the Biennale Internazionale d’Arte in Venice. Unfortunately, her trousseau turned up missing, and the airline officials had little interest in locating it for her. Of course, she did not want to wear her traveling clothes at such an important competition. Therefore, she lied to the airline official, “I’m getting married tomorrow, and I’ve got to have my trousseau. My white wedding dress is in it!” The airline official started making telephone calls and soon the trousseau was located for the 62-year-old “bride.”
"Where's the beef?" is a catchphrase in the United States and Canada, introduced as a slogan for the fast food chain Wendy's in 1984. Since then it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event, or product.
The phrase first came to public attention in a U.S. television commercial for the Wendy's chain of hamburger restaurants in 1984. In reality, the strategy behind the campaign was to distinguish competitors' (McDonald's and Burger King) big name hamburgers (Big Mac and Whopper respectively) from Wendy's 'modest' Single by focusing on the large bun used by the competitors and the larger beef patty in Wendy's hamburger. In the ad, titled "Fluffy Bun", actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a massive bun from a fictional competitor, which uses the slogan "Home of the Big Bun". The small patty prompts Peller angrily to exclaim, "Where's the beef?" Director Joe Sedelmaier actually wanted Peller to say, "Where is all the beef?" but because of emphysema, that was too hard for her.
First airing in 1984, the original commercial featured three elderly ladies at the "Home of the Big Bun" examining an exaggeratedly large hamburger bun. The other two ladies poked at it, exchanging bemused comments ("It certainly is a big bun. It's a very big bun. It's a big fluffy bun. It's a very big fluffy—"). As one of the ladies lift the top half of the bun, a comically minuscule hamburger patty with cheese and a pickle is revealed (prompting her to finish the sentence "—bun." with a much more disappointed tone). Peller immediately responds with her outraged, irascible question.
The advertising campaign ended in 1985 after Peller performed in a commercial for Prego pasta sauce, saying "I found it, I really found it", a phrase alluding to the beef in the listener's mind.
Source
Billy in Cypress U.S.A. was first, and correct, with:
" Where's the beef? "
DJT went to his dentist.
The dentist said, "You need a massive crown and it will cost $100,000".
DJT: "Finally someone who understands me. "
“I want the biggest one ever created to fit my hugely large, smart, stable genius head, with hundreds of Diamonds, Rubies, Sapphires, and Emeralds,
AND MEXICO WILL PAY FOR IT. "
Mark. said:
"Where's the beef?"
Alan J answered:
Where's The Beef??
mj wrote:
Adopted by Walter Mondale
Used against Gary Hart, "Where's the beef?" has become a staple of
American communication.
Dave responded:
Where’s the beef? Wendy’s sought to compare its allegedly superior beef patty to bun ratio against competitors McDonald’s and Burger King.
Jon L replied:
Where's the beef. Some politician asked that of his opponent's policies but I don't remember who it was. Hope someone mentions it in their comment.
Stephen F said:
Where's the Beef?
zorch wrote:
‘Where’s the beef?’ Answer “It’s over at Arby’s”
Randall answered:
Where's the beef?
Mac Mac replied:
Where’s the beef
George M. responded:
Marty, I'm quite familiar with this question, and here it is - "Where's the Beef?"
Cal in Vermont said:
"Where's the beef?" Very successful ad campaign..
Roy, the Blue Texan who spent 3 1/2 hours in the car, lined up for the first Pfizer shot. wrote:
That sweet little old lady would demand to know, "Where's the Beef?"
PS: Considering that I live in Loopy Louie Gohmert's district, I really thought all the folks who voted for him would be at home, going about their lives maskless, laughing at the more sensible among us. Was I ever wrong about that!
Jim from CA, retired to ID, responded:
Where's the beef?
John I from Hawai`i says,
Where's the beef?
Deborah, the Master Gardener replied:
“Where’s the beef?” What a hoot.
Daniel in The City responded:
“Where’s the beef?” Bush Sr appropriated it for political purposes.
Rosemary in Columbus said:
Where’s the beef?
Dave in Tucson wrote:
Clara Peller's claim to fame was asking "Where's the beef?". In another culture she may have asked "Where's the reef(er)?" Followed by "I don't think there's any buds in there!".
Barbara, of Peppy Tech fame replied:
The answer is, "Where's the beef?"
Leo in Boise took the day off.
David of Moon Valley took the day off.
Ed K took the day off.
Joe S (We resisted, we voted, we won. Get over it) took the day off.
Michelle in AZ took the day off.
Jacqueline took the day off.
Gary K took the day off.
Doug in Albuquerque, New Mexico, took the day off.
Tony DeN took the day off.
Gateway Mike took the day off.
Bob from Mechanicsburg, Pa took the day off.
Stephen aus Oz (& peppy tech, too) took the day off.
Kevin K. in Washington DC, Where Republicans cannot see sedition clearly, even now, took the day off.
-pgw took the day off.
Kenn B took the day off.
Micki took the day off.
Angelo D took the day off.
Harry M. took the day off.
Roy the (now retired) hoghead (aka 'hoghed') ( Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. ~Frank Zappa ) took the day off.
Saskplanner took the day off.
Steve in Wonderful Sacramento, CA, took the day off.
MarilynofTC took the day off.
Paul of Seattle took the day off.
Brian S. took the day off.
Gene took the day off.
Tony K. took the day off.
Noel S. took the day off.
James of Alhambra took the day off.
BttbBob has returned to semi-retired status.
~~~~~
Info: “Francis’s style of singing, which is deliberate, dynamic, and brandishing a slightly jagged edge similar to 1970s icon Janis Joplin, feels apt, given the very 1970s free-thinking mindset of the song itself.” – American Songwriter
Vocals - Julia Francis
Guitar - Darren Loucas
B3 - Mark Lutwak
Bass - Rebecca Young
Drums - Mike Peterson
Congas - Tendai ‘Baba’ Maraire
Choir - Carrie Akre, Ailisa Newhall, Rebecca Young
CBS begins the night with a RERUN'When Oprah Met Meghan & Harry', followed by a RERUN'Clarice'.
Scheduled on a FRESHStephen Colbert is Dr. Anthony Fauci.
On a RERUNJames Corden, OBE, (from 2/8/21) are Salma Hayek, Owen Wilson, and the Weeknd.
NBC starts the night with a FRESH'The Blacklist', followed by 'Dateline'.
Scheduled on a FRESHJimmy Fallon are Nick Offerman, Hailey Bieber, and Freddie Gibbs.
On a RERUNSeth Meyers (from 2/25/21) are David Spade, Jason Mantzoukas, and Raghav Mehrotra.
On a RERUNLilly Singh (from 2/8/21) is Jay Pharoah.
ABC opens the night with a FRESH'Shark Tank', followed by '20/20'.
On a RERUNJimmy Kimmel (from 3/4/21) are Sacha Baron Cohen, Wesley Snipes, and Charlotte Lawrence.
The CW offers a FRESH'Whose Line Is It Anyway?', followed by a RERUN'Whose Line Is It Anyway?', then a FRESH'Penn & Teller: FU'.
Faux fills the night with a FRESH'WWE Friday Night SmackDown'.
MY recycles an old 'L&O: CI', followed by another old 'L&O: CI'.
A&E has 3 hours of old 'The First 48', followed by a FRESH'Rescue Cam', and another 'Rescue Cam'.
AMC offers the movie 'Hancock', followed by the movie 'Bad Boys', then the movie 'Bad Boys II'.
BBC -
[6:00AM - 11:00AM] STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE
[12:00PM - 2:00PM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
[3:00PM] INSIDE MAN
[6:00PM] THE BOURNE SUPREMACY
[8:30PM] THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
[11:00PM] THE GRAHAM NORTON SHOW
[12:00AM] THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
[2:30AM - 4:30AM] STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
[5:30AM] HIDDEN HABITATS (ALL TIMES ET)
Bravo has 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht',followed by the movie 'The Shawshank Redemption', then the movie 'The Waterboy'.
Comedy Central has an hour of old 'The Office', followed by 3 hours of 'Schitt's Creek'.
FX has the movie 'Night School', followed by the movie Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse', then the movie 'X-Men: Apocalypse'.
History has 'The UnXplained', another 'The UnXplained', followed by a FRESH'The UnXplained', then a FRESH'Ancient Aliens'.
IFC -
[6:00am] The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
[8:15am] Drillbit Taylor
[10:45am] The World's End
[1:15pm] Kingpin
[4:00pm] Snatch
[6:30pm] The Longest Yard
[9:00pm] Caddyshack
[11:15pm] The Longest Yard
[1:45am] Kingpin
[4:30am - 5:30am] Saved By The Bell (ALL TIMES ET)
Sundance -
[6:00am - 8:00am] the andy griffith show
[8:30am] thinner
[10:30am] the dead zone
[1:00pm - 1:00am] law & order
[2:00am] columbo
[4:00am] columbo (ALL TIMES ET)
SyFy has the movie 'Gone In 60 Seconds', followed by the movie 'I, Robot', then a FRESH'Wynonna Earp'.
For years, researchers have said a lack of diversity in Hollywood films doesn’t just poorly reflect demographics, it’s bad business. A new study by the consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimates just how much Hollywood is leaving on the table: $10 billion.
The McKinsey report, released Thursday, analyzes how inequality shapes the industry and how much it ultimately costs its bottom line. The consulting firm deduced that the $148 billion film and TV industry loses $10 billion, or 7%, every year by undervaluing Black films, filmmakers and executives.
“Fewer Black-led stories get told, and when they are, these projects have been consistently underfunded and undervalued, despite often earning higher relative returns than other properties,” wrote the study’s authors: Jonathan Dunn, Sheldon Lyn, Nony Onyeador and Ammanuel Zegeye.
The study, spanning the years 2015-2019, was conducted over the last six months and drew on earlier research by the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Southern California and Nielsen. The BlackLight Collective, a coalition of Black executives and talent in the industry, collaborate with McKinsey researchers. The company also interviewed more than 50 executives, producers, agents, actors, directors and writers anonymously.
McKinsey attributed at least some of Hollywood’s slow progress to its complex and multi-layered business — an ecosystem of production companies, networks, distributors, talent agencies and other separate but intertwined realms.
A New Jersey appeals court on Thursday ruled against famed pop artist Peter Max in a dispute over millions of dollars’ worth of his works that were damaged in a warehouse during Superstorm Sandy.
The German-born Max, whose distinctive psychedelic drawings have been widely reproduced on posters and postage stamps and exhibited in museums since the 1960s, has claimed an arbitrator’s $48 million insurance award was too low.
Thousands of his paintings, posters and other works were damaged at a warehouse in Lyndhurst in northern New Jersey when Superstorm Sandy hit the area in late October 2012, according to court documents.
When Max and his insurers, Great American Security and Lloyds, couldn’t agree on a cost for the damages, a former New Jersey Supreme Court justice was designated to resolve the dispute.
Max and his associated companies allege the justice incorrectly calculated the worth of the damaged works by applying a discount to some entire categories, including posters.
HBO is no stranger to shining a light on some of Hollywood’s most fascinating people, and it is now setting its sights on spotlighting the person created one of the world’s most beloved characters. Sources tell Deadline that HBO Documentary Films is in production on a two-part documentary about the life of Paul Reubens, the man behind Pee-wee Herman.
A co-production between HBO Documentary Films and Elara, the film will be produced by Uncut Gems directors Josh and Benny Safdie, their partner Sebastian Bear-McClard as well as Joker producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff. Matt Wolf is directing.
“I’ve been working with HBO since they were called Home Box Office,” said Reubens. “I’m honored and excited to continue my long history there. I love HBO, but I’m not going to marry them.”
A kaleidoscopic portrait told in two parts, the Reubens documentary traces the life of the imaginative artist behind one of pop culture’s most unlikely icons: Pee-wee Herman.
Netflix is testing a way it can limit password sharing, in what could signal a notable shift of the streaming giant’s posture toward users.
“Is this your account?” an on-screen notification asks some of those trying to log on with credentials from someone outside their household, according to users’ screenshots. “If you don’t live with the owner of this account, you need your own account to keep watching.”
Users can then enter their own information and create an account, which comes with a 30-day free trial in certain territories.
“This test is designed to help ensure that people using Netflix accounts are authorized to do so,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
A commotion on Twitter over the notifications was first reported on by The Streamable, which indicated that so far only connected-TV subscribers have hit the pay-wall.
States with Democratic governors had the highest incidence and death rates from Covid-19 in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, but states with Republican governors surpassed those rates as the crisis dragged on, a study released Tuesday found.
"From March to early June, Republican-led states had lower Covid-19 incidence rates compared with Democratic-led states. On June 3, the association reversed, and Republican-led states had higher incidence," the study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Medical University of South Carolina showed.
"For death rates, Republican-led states had lower rates early in the pandemic, but higher rates from July 4 through mid-December," the study found.
The study, which which was published in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Preventive Medicine, examined Covid-19 "incidence, death, testing, and test positivity rates from March 15 through December 15, 2020," when there were 16 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and 300,000 deaths. It focused on per-capita infection and death rates in the 26 GOP-led states and 24 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., and made statistical adjustments for issues such as population density.
But "policy differences" between the Republican and Democratic leaders emerged as a big factor for the reversal of the states' fortunes, the study suggests.
Amy Skinner took notice when brightly colored structures started taking shape earlier this year on a drab patch of asphalt across from a Los Angeles park where she occasionally slept outdoors.
Skinner, who's been homeless for three years, watched as workers built a fence with a security gate and transformed the city-owned property into LA's first tiny home village offering interim housing and services for people who lack shelter.
Then in early February, Skinner was handed the keys to one of the 39 prefab units at the one-acre plot in a North Hollywood neighborhood. She and her partner, John Golka, moved into the 64-square-foot (6-square-meter) space with their little dog, Smalls.
It's cramped but comfortable inside their temporary home — with four windows, two beds, shelving and an A/C unit. The inscription on the welcome mat at the front door captures their new mood: “This is our happy place.”
“Being able to lock the door and have a place to sleep is huge," Skinner, 48, said after a morning smoke with other new residents in the community’s shared outdoor space. Bright red picnic tables stood nearby and a “hygiene trailer” with toilets and showers was just steps away.
Mexico's famous lucha libre wrestlers turned Latin America's largest wholesale food market into a battleground against COVID-19 this week, barging down walkways to urge people to wear masks to contain the virus.
One year into the pandemic, arenas that would usually draw thousands of rowdy spectators to watch the free-style wrestlers in lucha libre fights have stayed closed.
So the masked wrestlers have taken on a different fight.
"Put on a mask!" a group of wrestlers in traditional outfits urged buyers and sellers in the bustling thoroughfares of Mexico City's sprawling Central de Abasto market. "Be responsible!"
Those who resisted were sprayed down with disinfectant.
A burial site found in Spain – described by archaeologists as one of the most lavish bronze age graves discovered to date in Europe – has sparked speculation that women may have been among the rulers of a highly stratified society that flourished on the Iberian peninsula until 1550BC.
Since 2013, a team of more than a dozen researchers have been investigating the site of La Almoloya in the southern Spanish region of Murcia.
Home to the El Argar, a society that was among the first to utilise bronze, build complex urban centres and develop into a state organisation, the site is part of a vast territory that at its peak stretched across 35,000 sq km.
Research published on Thursday in the journal Antiquity has documented one of the site’s most tantalising finds: a man and a woman buried in a large ceramic jar, both of whom died close together in the mid-17th century BC.
Buried with them were 29 valuable objects, nearly all of them belonging to the female, believed to be between 25 and 30 years of age. “It’s like everything she touched had silver on it,” said Cristina Rihuete of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
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U.S.A. was first, and correct, with:
has returned to semi-retired status.
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